Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-08-07

walk through the park that night ana
back again To the crowded cafe. Tie
gambler moved his chair against The wall,
crossed his legs, lighted another u his in
Vulnerable cigars, and all three OF us
cha,ted In a desultory way, while Tomas0
moved from table 10 table, nOdding to
this friend and shaking hands with that
as he approached. News OF the trouble
had apparently got abroad, for the cafe
Wa crowded aud every eye was fixed ON
the placid young Cuban.
He was a good type Of the tropical man
about town, cmbman, yachtsman, aud
dandy. His shoes were rUsset leather
with high heels and tied with tiny bits OF
blue ribbon. affording a glimpse OF silken
hose. HIS coat, waistcoat and trousers
were white flannel, cut by a Parisian tailor
and almost nodded TO his slim figure,
and a $500 Panama hat with a tiny crest
in gold worked in the top of the crown,
was pushed back on the top Of his head.
He wore the snowiest Of linens, and the
general whiteness Of his attire was re-
lieyed by a brilliant scarlet scarf in which
there was a black diamond set in white
enamel. lie wore several snowy rings.
There was something that relieved his
appearance Of all suggestions Of effemi-
macy, aud | think IL was the steady gaze
of his eyes. His face was clean cut and
regular, the mouth firm and the express
sion very winning when he chose TO smile.
He was the only son of a rich widow, had
the entrce To the best houses in Havana,
and was more of a favorite among men
than among women. This is the best
anAtaVnAVlassa N man aan have
had met him in New York, n so posed as
his Oldest friend among the queerly con-
stituted trio that night, but we had all
been in Havana a month, and we had
been together constantly. so that he was
quite as well acquainted with the English
nobleman and the Chicago gambler rs
with me.
When he finally got 10 our table he
pulled out Ihis little jeweled watch and
said:
at is beyond l2 O'Clock, and SO we go
to the ball"
When we got to the Tacon theatre,
where the masked ball was going on, the
floor was crowded by men and women in
carnival attire dancing a curious and sug-
gestiye Cuban waltz. We went in the
box Immediately over the governor gen
erals, in the second tier. In an instant
every head in the room was turned to-
wards Tomaso.
There was nothing new about the ball.
1t was the same old series Of wriggles and
contortions which invariably characterize
the Cuban dance, and which make it in
its vulgar form the grossest of known
public amusements. We had all been up
late the night before, and ! I'm afraid l
was rather sleepy. At all events, | dozed
of a bit al the back Of the box, while the
music strummed away monOtonously.
The others talked and watched the crowd.
II must have been nearly 2 O'Clock, when
a young yachtsman pulled open the door
of the box. stuck a half scared face in and
nodded significantly 10 Tomaso. The lat
ter raised his eyebrows p~erceptibly and
smiled his thanks for the warning. IL
was evident that the duelist had arrived.
The gambler pulled my sleeve and told
me in a hoarse whisper to wake up, but
the suggestion was not needed, for | saw
by the movement in the crowd that we
were in for the row at last. A crowd Of
club men and loungers surged in on the
floor, and with them was the hero Of the
hour, with bis face whittier than ever and
his big eyes rolling from face 10 face. The
Englishman had evidently been thinking
deeply and he was very much perturbed.
As the little group Of FOUNDERS pushed
their way on the floor he arose and leaned
over the young Cuban with a more
fatherly air than | had ever seen him ex-
hibit before.
II wish you would come home, my
boy" he said, with a half sullen and half
husky voice. II feel like a criminal. |
ought to have spanked you and put you to
bed three hours ago. The trouble is that
the duel is such n recognized institution
in these countries tEan an outsider can
never interfere, but II is a pity that you
have to get into any sort of II scrimmage
with that white faced cat down there on
J the floor
1T must be, you know" said the
%yOungstcr r~esignedly. ut is the custom
If the country. and if / showed the least
tendency to shirk | would be cut by every
friend and relative on the island.
The Englishman sank back again into
his seat. Then ] proposed a walk through
the corridors. We moved out slowly with
the gambler beside Tomaso. and the Eng
lishman and I walking together beside
them. was rather surprised to see that
none Of the Cubans came 10 Tomaso's side,
but ] learned the reason from one Of them as
we walked along. He said that as lomaso
had deliberately chosen foreigners, mean
ing us, for his associates in the trouble,
they thought it would only be courtesy 10
respect his wishes, but that they all held
themselves at his services at any time.
This | was told 70 communicate to him by
the speaker, whose good breeding appa-
rently prevented him from approaching
Tomaso himself. We moved down the
broad flight Of stairs and into the open
court adjoining the Tacon theatre. At the
same momen the other party hurried
tumultuously out Of the further door, and
we heard occasional slurs and gibes. leyeled
at Americans and Englishmen. including
four or five limitations Of how we spoke
Spanish. The limitations were so deity
and c~leverly made that both the English
man aud ! grinned, but the gambler and
Tomaso were apparently quite unconscious
OF the fusilade Of remarks that were levele1
at us. II began 10 look as II we were in
for more Of a row than we had ut first
supposed. We were walking directly
toward the crowd, and in the front rank
stood the duellist, with a sort Of stage
smile on his thin lips, and his eyes fixed
directly On the slim boy who was walking
by the gamblers side.
i had rather have had that famous Chi
cago faro dealer and gambler for a guard
at that moment than a regiment OF the
cars imperial guards. There was some
thing about his immovable face and the
protecting manner In which he lowered
about the boy that caused even the hot
blooded and half tipsy crowd that we